Mount Gorongosa Katydid

This small but beautiful katydid was found during an insect survey of Mount Gorongosa in 2012. It will soon be officially accepted as a new species and receive its formal scientific name. Mount Gorongosa katydid lives in the dense understory of the rainforest that covers the top of the mountain. It is nocturnal and produces very loud songs that dominate the acoustic landscape of the mountain at night. The problem is, humans cannot hear any of it! The song of Mount Gorongosa katydid uses frequencies of about 40 kHz, several times higher than what an average person can hear, and scientists had to use special equipment to detect and record it. Such high-pitched song, however, is highly advantageous in the dense vegetation of the forest – the higher the pitch, the easier it is to locate the source of the sound. This makes it easier for females to find calling males.